Have you ever noticed someone having a sudden emotional reaction that seemed out of measure with the actual situation?  And then after, they realized their reaction was inappropriate and weren’t even sure why they were so upset?
Then you have witnessed an Amygdala Hijack, one of our most powerful survival systems.  But, at the same time, you experienced something completely normal.  How?

The Learning Laboratory
Emotional threats, real or perceived, send us into a state of fear.  Our amygdala hijacks our neuropaths and cuts us off from problem solving, compassion and creative thinking.  This is why five minutes (usually longer) after an argument or amygdala hijack, we either don’t remember what we were so upset about or realize that we were wrong the whole time.
These emotional threats are the same reason that a child throws a “temper tantrum” at something that doesn’t make sense to the outside world.  When their amygdala (the first brain developed) hijacks their bodies, they aren’t thinking about the fact that having to stop throwing that toy at someone is wrong.  Looking at it another way, when we as adults have a “temper tantrum”, otherwise known as amygdala hijack, our internal fear response often outweighs the external stimulus.
When the amygdala goes into overdrive, it activates the limbic area of the brain, which stores all of our old memories.  Your brain accesses hurt, pain and frustration from past experiences which amplifies the hijack.  This is exactly why an amygdala hijack is such a powerful downward spiral.
​
Coaching Tips
Now, if you stopped reading above, it may seem overwhelming or even hopeless.  But, through years of research in emotional intelligence, we have developed a plethora of self-awareness techniques and self-regulating tips to handle these amygdala hijacks.  Below are three easy-to-use tips for quelling your amygdala hijack:

1. Label Our Reaction as Normal: Understanding the science and biology of an amygdala hijack means that this is how we are hardwired.  We are designed to anticipate and protect ourselves from harm.
2. Notice How We React: Do we go into Fight, Flight, Freeze or Appease?  And, more importantly, what caused us to go into that survival state?
3. Take Some Deep Breaths:  Seems simple, right?  But three to five nice, deep breaths give our brain the time to process the information, move to the problem-solving portion of our brain and quell our amygdala.
4. Go into Discovery Conversations:  Ask questions, more specifically open-ended questions.  Our amygdala is unable to handle these questions that require reason, creativity and problem-solving.
5. Choose to Stay Calm: Now, that definitely seems to simple, but it is true.  The self-awareness to understand that we control our behavior, attitude and reactions is life changing.  When you begin to master self-regulation, you will make conscious decisions to shift from an amygdala hijack in the moment.